“LoadRunners” is designed to automatically speed goods through the warehouse

Due to the current pandemic, people are shopping online more than ever. This means distribution warehouses have become very busy places where goods need to be transported quickly but safely – and that’s where LoadRunner comes in.

Developed by engineers at the German Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Logistics, the LoadRunner is a flat, omnidirectional, flat-wheeled robotic vehicle that can travel up to 10 meters (33 ft ) every second.

Driven by four electric motors, each capable of carrying a maximum payload of 30 kg (66 lb), navigating through the warehouse via onboard optical cameras detects known landmarks in the building . When the LoadRunner reaches its destination, it brakes in such a way that its cargo slides off the vehicle and onto the delivery platform.

Because multiple LoadRunners can be stored in a warehouse at the same time, they communicate with each other over 5G, acting as a collaborative group in which collisions are avoided. This swarm behavior also allows two or more vehicles to work together, carrying loads too large or too heavy for a LoadRunner to self-manage.

Additionally, each vehicle has the ability to tow cargo in up to four interlinked trailers.

In a recent real-world test of the technology, a team of about 60 LoadRunner was able to successfully process 13,000 parcels per hour. Fraunhofer is currently developing a version of the outdoor vehicle that can be used in applications such as moving cargo between warehouses, or even towing luggage cart at airports.

Source: Fraunhofer